Camel Up

Overview

I brought Camel Up to a lively, energetic game night with five of us around the table and — honestly — it turned into exactly the kind of chaotic, laugh-out-loud session I expected from the description. Designed by Steffen Bogen and published in multiple editions worldwide, Camel Up is a light-weight racing-and-betting game aimed at families and casual groups (ages 8+). We learned the rules by watching a few quick videos beforehand, and within minutes we were placing bets, dropping tiles, and rolling dice while shouting over each other’s guesses.
The stated playtime is about 25 minutes, but with five players and the giddy table conversation it topped closer to an hour for our first game; I suspect subsequent plays would be shorter. This was my first and only play so far, and I’d score the session a mixed 5/10: it was an absolute blast socially, but mechanically it sits firmly in the luck-heavy column. If you want a thoughtful engine builder, look elsewhere. If you want an unpredictable, often hilarious party racer where fortunes flip on a single die roll, this is your game. The target audience is broad — young and old who like light, social experiences — but not ideal for players who demand deep strategy or control over outcomes.

Pros

• Excellent party-level chaos and social moments — everyone laughs when a presumed last-place camel wins.
• Very quick to teach; rules are crystal-clear after a single video and a demo move.
• Good component quality and functional artwork that supports fast setup and play.
• High replayability because the randomness keeps outcomes fresh; each race feels unique.

Cons

• Extremely luck-heavy — there’s minimal strategic depth or meaningful decision-making.
• Limited player choices can leave serious gamers feeling disengaged; you often can’t influence the outcome.
• No official solo/bot options in the base retail version, which reduces options for solo players.